|
Publications > Youth voices > Aotearoa Youth Voices toolkit > Action guide 2
Action guide 2: Talking to big groups
If you need to talk to a group of people, relax, here’s some things you can do to make your presentation easier for yourself.
What is your “takeaway” message?
First up, think about the main message that you want people to take away with them. Can you sum that in just one sentence?
Or do you have a “call to action”? Is there something that you want
people to do as a result of your talk? Again, summarise that in one
clear sentence.
Your aim is to build up your talk or speech around this one sentence and to memorise that sentence.
You want to make sure your audience will remember that one main
message from your presentation so you need to deliver it confidently!
Aim your talk to your listeners
Keep your audience in mind when you are researching and preparing your talk so that it’s relevant to where they are at.
What you say and how you say it will depend on who you are talking to:
- is it other young people or is it a group of adults, eg who work for your local council?
- what do they know about the topic you are talking about already?
Think about how you can make your talk more interesting and topical, eg
check out the internet or newspapers for the latest information or
examples. On the other hand, using stories can be a really useful way
of illustrating a point.
How to organise your talk
Preparation is important before talking in front of groups of people.
Plan your talk to include an introduction, a body (or middle) and a
conclusion.
Intro – get people interested right at the start. You might tell
them a startling fact or ask them a question related to your topic. And
then, follow it up with your key message, the reason for your talk. For
example:
Did you know on average 12 to 17 year olds spent 36 minutes per day
on homework and study over a seven-day week? [pause] There are adults
who say that young people today are lazy and irresponsible, but we know
that’s not true. Today I want you to think about this: let’s celebrate
young people for who they really are rather than how society sees them.
Middle – focus on two or three key points that will support your
key message. There are different ways of structuring your content, eg
you might:
- open with a fact or statistic and then provide more information around it
- compare two different points of view
- talk about a problem and the solution
- compare the past with the present or future.
Conclusion – briefly sum up the key points of your message and
then finish up with the message that you want everyone to remember (or)
the call to action – what you want the listeners to do.
Get creative – it doesn’t have to be a straight speech
Instead of just giving a talk, think about ways to make your presentation more interesting for your audience. You could:
-
make some flyers or handouts
-
involve others - have different people say different bits, do it interview style or have a panel discussion
-
involve a group to do a small role play
- use a PowerPoint presentation
- use visual aids, eg a diagram on a whiteboard, a model of something, a poster.
Tips for a great delivery
Practice! It’s really helpful to practise your speech – you might do it
in front of a friend or family member and get some feedback. Take note
of the timing of your speech as well, especially if you have been
allocated a timeslot.
Breathe! If you’re feeling really nervous, take some slow deep breaths beforehand. And try to relax …
Memorise! If you can, aim to remember the beginning and end of your
speech. It’s fine to use speech notes to prompt you, but try not to
simply read them. To get your point across, you need to connect with
your audience, you need to make eye contact!
Smile! A warm smile – again this is about connecting with your audience
and it helps to make you look like a confident person (even if you
don’t feel it inside)!
Use pauses. People sometimes talk fast when they’re nervous so try and
pace yourself when you are talking. Also pauses can be used to
emphasise key points.
Body language. Think about how you use your body. Standing up there
with your arms folded or your hands in your pockets isn’t very
friendly. Use your hands to reinforce key points or to tell your story.
But watch you don’t go overboard – too much and you will distract your
audience!
Use your passion. If you really believe in something, use your passion
to drive your presentation and to convince the audience of your point
of view.
In short - have fun!
The more public speaking you do, the easier it will become. And,
remember it’s okay to make mistakes, just have a laugh and try again!
Copyright Ministry of Youth Development 2006
This action guide is one of a series of guides in the Ministry of Youth Development's
Aotearoa Youth Voices tool kit.
Top of page
|